LaughingRx and Healing the body and Medical Studies:
Cancer, Heart Disease, Depression, Pain, Asthma, Physically Challenged and Chronic Illness
10 Good Reasons To Laugh For No Reason:
1. Laughter is a stress buster
Laughter reduces the levels of stress hormones,
epinephrine and cortisol in our body.
By providing an the format for unconditional laughter, Laughter Yoga allows your body a quick way to reduce stress levels. This is especially beneficial and important to people in high stress jobs or in high stress relationships.
Not only can stress levels be reduced, but we can effectively protect our systems from the effects of further stress.
2. Laughter strengthens the immune system
The immune system is important in maintaining
good health by keeping infections, allergies and
cancers at bay:
· Recent research into the effects of laughter by
Dr. Lee S. Berk, Professor at Loma Linda
University, California, USA, demonstrates that
laughter will increase the count of natural killer
cells (NK cells - a type of white cell) and
antibody levels.
· Laughter therapy helps to increase antibodies
(Immunoglobulin A) in the mucous of the nose
and respiratory passages.
3. Laughter is anti-aging
· It tones facial muscles and expressions.
· Laughter causes an increase in blood supply to
the face, which is why some people look
flushed. This nourishes the skin and makes it
glow.
· People look younger and more fun when they
laugh!
4. Laughing is aerobic exercise
Laughing stimulates heart and blood circulation and
is equivalent to any other standard aerobic exercise.
· Dr. William Fry, Standford University, USA
claims one minute of laughter is equal to 10
minutes on the rowing machine.
· The singular benefit almost everybody derives
is a sense of well-being because more oxygen
is taken in during laughter.
· It is an exercise regime suitable for all, including
people confined to a bed or a wheelchair.
The Importance of Oxygen:
From a medical point of view, the most important component of breath is oxygen.
Dr. Otto Warburg, President, Institute of Cell Physiology, Nobel Prize Winner (Dr. Warburg is the only person ever to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine twice and be nominated for a third), said about the importance of oxygen:
"Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important factors in living a diseasefree and energetic life. When cells get enough oxygen, cancer will not and cannot occur."
The very essence of our life is breathing. Due to stress and negative emotions, our breathing becomes irregular and shallow, thus affecting the flow of Prana through our body.
5. Laughter is internal jogging
Laughter massages internal organs by enhancing
the blood supply and increasing their efficiency.
This is especially good for proper bowel movement.
· Laughter exercises the abdominal muscles and
helps to improve muscle tone.
6. Laughter is a Natural Pain Killer
Laughter increases the levels of endorphins – the
body’s natural pain killers. Norman Cousins, an
American journalist who was suffering from an
incurable disease of the spine, benefited from
laughter therapy in a situation when all painkillers
were ineffective.
· Endorphins released as a result of laughter may
help in reducing the intensity of pain in those
suffering from arthritis, spondylitis and muscular
spasms of the body.
7. Laughter can control high blood pressure
Laughter helps to control blood pressure by
reducing the release of stress-related hormones.
· Experiments have demonstrated that a 10-
minute laughter session leads to a reduction of
10-20 mm in blood pressure. This however
does not mean that patients taking 2-3 tablets
for blood pressure every day will be completely
cured.
8. Laughter can help dump depression and
anxiety
The stress and strain of modern life takes a heavy
toll on the human mind and body.
Sustained laughter through Laughter yoga brings on:
· Better sleep
· Reduced depression. Some people claim they
can manage without prescribed anti-depressant
pills and tranquillizers.
9. Laughter Alleviates Bronchitis and Asthma
Laughter improves lung capacity and oxygen levels
in the blood.
· Laughter Club members report a marked
reduction in the frequency of asthma attacks.
10. Laughter just makes you feel good
Laugh and the world laughs with you. How you
react to life is up to you.
New Medical Study:
Laughter Lowers Blood Pressure
According to a new study presented at the American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting, laughter in the context of laughter yoga can significantly lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol, or stress hormone, levels. Laughter yoga is a combination of laughter exercises, gentle yoga breathing, and stretching. The investigators of the study evaluated 200 people, both men and women, working in the information technology industry in India. These individuals participated in seven 20-30 minute laughter yoga sessions, where they alternated 45 seconds to one minute of laughter with deep breathing and stretching exercises.
After three weeks, the investigators found that laughter yoga participants experienced significant reductions in their baseline blood pressures, as well as their cortisol levels. Participants also filled out questionnaires which showed that their perceived levels of stress were also lower.
According to Dr. Madan Kataria, the lead investigator of the study, laughter needs to be prolonged in order to bring about physiological and biochemical changes. And, you don't even need to feel happy while you laugh, as long as you laugh heartily for an extended period of time. There are 6000 laughter clubs in 60 countries where people practice laughter yoga, so perhaps there's one near you where you can laugh all the way to better health.
Source
Adapted from Heartwire -- a professional news service of WebMD Chaya MS, Kataria M, Nagendra R, et al. The effects of hearty extended unconditional (HEU) laughter using laughter yoga techniques on physiological, psychological, and immunological parameters in the workplace: a randomized control trial. American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting; May 14, 2008; New Orleans, LA.
Laughter Yoga Helps Cope With Physical Disabilities
Physical health of a person is an important parameter to measure mental health. It has a strong influence on personal efficiency and performance, well-being and capacity for self-regulating thought and action, self-confidence and relationships.
Living with a disability is a huge challenge and can be hard to deal with – one might have to make certain changes in their lives and find alternative ways to cope with the disability. People have to rediscover themselves to find different ways to fulfill their targets and goals, without slipping into the realms of depression and frustration.
A physical impairment can lead to severe mental trauma and stress which counters wellness. People suffering from a physical disability are prone to negative feelings and emotions that undermine their rationality and gives rise to confusing mindset regarding their own image and capabilities. They undergo an all time low and sensations of self pity and self worthless set in.
Laughter Yoga, the new exercise routine is the best medicine and the most powerful tool to manage pain and distress. It has the ability to elevate the mood state by releasing endorphins, a ‘feel good’ hormone that alleviates pain and provides a feeling of comfort and safety.
The concept is the fastest growing trend in the world that helps people to cope with their physical and mental disabilities. It a simple exercise routine developed by Dr. Madan Kataria that works on the body and the mind simultaneously. It effectively combines the tenets of yogic breathing with laughter exercises to provide enormous health benefits. Many practitioners have reported a remarkable improvement in their physical condition and flexibility.
How Laughter Yoga helps to cope with physical disabilities
Mobility: Mobility sometimes gets partially or severely restricted due to disease, injury and pain. Being a physical exercise, Laughter Yoga helps to mobility especially if one is rendered physically incapable due to injury and or disease.
Many people with a physical disability are unable to move parts of their body without regular physiotherapy exercises to keep their body moving. Due to low mental functions, they were not following physiotherapy commands properly. After laughter yoga they are much more compliant with physiotherapy commands, which have led to notable physical improvement in their motor functions.
Pain: Laughter Yoga triggers the release of a natural opiate called Endorphin into our bloodstream. This provides immediate pain relief typically lasting for 2 hours. It can relieve headaches, muscular and joint pain and is powerful enough that a number of practitioners have undergone surgery using laughter instead of anesthetics.
Anger: It can be overwhelming trying to understand why you have to deal with something that can be so difficult and seem so unfair. ‘Why me?’ is a nagging question in the mind. Trying to live with disability can be really frustrating and leaves one dependent on people.
Laughter Yoga is an ideal exercise that helps one to accept the disability and provides relief from feelings of negativity.
Sadness or depression: People find it hard to express their feelings and emotions and they get chronically depressed. Laughter Yoga exercises have made them much more expressive and joyful and helped to lift their depression.
Feeling scared: It’s natural to experience a certain amount of fear in the face of physical disability. But when this fear takes on an unbearable dimension, it can lead to severe damage to the psyche.
Laughter Yoga provides an immediate feeling of safety and security. This may be due to the effects of endorphins, natural opiates and more potent than morphine. It helps to overcome fear and anxiety and generates more positive emotions.
Stress or anxiety: Any form of disability is a cause of immense stress and anxiety. Frustration anger, aggressive behavior and irrational logic overcome the power of reasoning.
Laughter has been shown scientifically to provide a substantial and immediate reduction in stress levels as it lowers stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine and enhances the levels of health hormones and neuropeptides that alleviate the negative symptoms of stress within minutes.
Shock and denial: Physical incapacity can put people in a state of shock and trauma. There is not just the physical pain but a mental denial that can lead to blockage of feelings and an inability to express one’s emotions freely.
The group dynamics of Laughter Yoga leads to more openness and helps people to share their grief. The exercises and the deep breathing relax the body and the mind and assist one to accept reality. Laughter clubs are a safe haven for people to release their inner feelings without fear and pain. Laughter catharsis is a great technique for emotional release and balance.
Laughter Yoga And Allergies – Asthma And Bronchitis
Causal factors of asthma – how Laughter Yoga can help
Teen / childhood asthma
Scientific studies have proved that respiratory allergies like asthma and bronchitis are caused not only by physical allergens but also by a negative state of mind. In fact, the rise in the incidence of childhood and teen asthma is a worrying fact and has led to several research trying to ascertain the causal factors - the results of which have shown an obvious connect between an emotional state and asthma. Though nothing is certain yet, one knows that stress does play a major role in triggering these symptoms and bringing on debilitating physical conditions accompanied by mental upset.
We are subjected to constant (or chronic) stress that results in the continuous release of stress-related substances into the body. Without time to dissipate, the stress ‘cocktail’ can reach toxic concentrations and attack the body, resulting in a wide variety of stress-related illness including respiratory allergies which affect the breathing pattern and can at times lead to severe condition of breathlessness.
Asthma and bronchitis are both common chronic lung conditions that makes breathing difficult when the airways react to certain triggers or inducers causing airways to tighten, swell and fill with mucus. The lungs get less air which can cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing.
Laughter Yoga has a profound positive impact on allergies, with many practitioners reporting complete disappearance of all symptoms of asthma, skin and other allergies. Though not an intervention for countering physical causes of allergies, laughter is a definite tool to remedy stress. It can help in reducing the risk factors by boosting the immune system, encouraging deep breathing and flushing the lungs of stale air and generating a feeling of wellness.
It is a new exercise routine that combines laughter with yogic breathing. It encourages deep diaphragmatic breathing which can have a positive effect on asthma. It also increases the number and activity level of natural killer cells, which attack virus-infected cells and keep allergies at bay.
“According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Hajime Kimata of Unitika Central Hospital, Japan, studied the effects of laughter on patients allergic to dust mites, cedar pollen and cat dander. Skin prick tests using a commercial allergen were performed on 26 patients before and after they viewed the Charlie Chaplin comedy Modern Times. During the same procedure, a control group watched a video featuring weather information.
The results showed that allergic reactions of comedy watchers were reduced for four hours after the screening. In contrast, there was no effect on allergic responses of weather watchers.”
Causal factors of asthma – how Laughter Yoga can help
Stress:
Living in a constant worry cycle and faced with major stressors, one succumbs easily to the physical symptoms of stress, which can lead to asthmatic conditions and other allergic reactions. Laughter Yoga is an effective method to reduce stress. It improves the prognosis of the disease and helps in lowering the levels of stress-related poisons in the body. It has the ability to reduce or even clear allergic reactions.
Hearty extended laughter is one of the best exercises for those suffering from asthma and bronchitis. It improves lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood. It also flushes the lungs, strengthens the diaphragm and promotes healthier diaphragmatic breathing.
Diaphragm Breathing:
The usual prescription for asthmatic patients is chest physiotherapy to remove mucous (phlegm) from the respiratory passages. Blowing forcefully into an instrument and blowing balloons is one of the common exercises given to asthmatics. Laughter Yoga does the same job, more easily and at no cost.
Many people previously suffering from asthma and bronchitis who practice Laughter Yoga daily in laughter clubs report marked reductions in the frequency and severity of their attacks. In many cases their symptoms have disappeared completely within months of daily laughter sessions.
Immune System By boosting the immune system, Laughter Yoga increases antibody levels in the mucous membranes of the respiratory passages, thereby reducing the frequency of chest infections. It also tones up the mucous clearing system of the bronchial tubes.
Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect similar to deep breathing. This can be especially beneficial for patients who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.
Other Allergies
Research has confirmed that negative emotions can trigger allergic skin reactions. Disorders like hay fever and eczema are regulated, in part, by hormones and neuropeptides released into the bloodstream in response to stress.
Laughter Yoga increases the level of positive hormones and neuropeptides in the bloodstream thereby reducing the risk of skin allergies. It helps to increase T cells (T lymphocytes) and the antibody IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract infections.
Teen / Childhood Asthma
Teens with asthma tend to be more depressed and more likely to use drugs and alcohol. “This high frequency of depression in adolescents with asthma is most likely a consequence of a disease that impedes breathing, interferes with age-level activities, and complicates the adolescent process of developing a self-identity different from family," according to Bruce G. Bender, PhD, National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado.
Laughter exercises are ideally suited for young teens as it quickly helps to change the mood state by releasing endorphins, natural opiates that generate feelings of comfort and safety. Laughter Yoga helps one to cope with difficult situations and releases pent up emotions through the process of catharsis.
Though the most common cause of childhood asthma and respiratory allergies is genetic and physical, emotional stress caused by anxiety, anger or frustrations are also childhood asthma triggers. Children to day are faced with numerous stressors and pressures that can negatively alter the breathing pattern resulting in hyperventilation and rapid breathing that can further worsen an asthma attack.
Laughter Yoga is a powerful tool to remedy the immune system and reduce the negative triggers that bring on allergies. It focuses on all the aspects of well being – physical and mental. While the physiological healing power of laughter helps in recovery, the psychological takes care of the mental stress and depression that can reduce the incidence.
It teaches one to breathe correctly using the diaphragm, thereby increasing the net supply of oxygen to the body and the brain and using the lungs to the fullest capacity. It is the best prescription to curb the attacks and is a great preventive.
"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."
-Audrey Hepburn
"Laughter has changed my life. I feel much lighter and happier."
--Maj Brigette, Copenhagen, Denmark
Live life laughing!
Please consult your physician before starting any new exercise regimen or reducing your medication.
To Bring LaughingRx to your organization/group contact:
Nira Berry at LaughingRx Yoga
LaughingRx@gmail.com
240-888-6555
10 Good Reasons To Laugh For No Reason:
1. Laughter is a stress buster
Laughter reduces the levels of stress hormones,
epinephrine and cortisol in our body.
By providing an the format for unconditional laughter, Laughter Yoga allows your body a quick way to reduce stress levels. This is especially beneficial and important to people in high stress jobs or in high stress relationships.
Not only can stress levels be reduced, but we can effectively protect our systems from the effects of further stress.
2. Laughter strengthens the immune system
The immune system is important in maintaining
good health by keeping infections, allergies and
cancers at bay:
· Recent research into the effects of laughter by
Dr. Lee S. Berk, Professor at Loma Linda
University, California, USA, demonstrates that
laughter will increase the count of natural killer
cells (NK cells - a type of white cell) and
antibody levels.
· Laughter therapy helps to increase antibodies
(Immunoglobulin A) in the mucous of the nose
and respiratory passages.
3. Laughter is anti-aging
· It tones facial muscles and expressions.
· Laughter causes an increase in blood supply to
the face, which is why some people look
flushed. This nourishes the skin and makes it
glow.
· People look younger and more fun when they
laugh!
4. Laughing is aerobic exercise
Laughing stimulates heart and blood circulation and
is equivalent to any other standard aerobic exercise.
· Dr. William Fry, Standford University, USA
claims one minute of laughter is equal to 10
minutes on the rowing machine.
· The singular benefit almost everybody derives
is a sense of well-being because more oxygen
is taken in during laughter.
· It is an exercise regime suitable for all, including
people confined to a bed or a wheelchair.
The Importance of Oxygen:
From a medical point of view, the most important component of breath is oxygen.
Dr. Otto Warburg, President, Institute of Cell Physiology, Nobel Prize Winner (Dr. Warburg is the only person ever to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine twice and be nominated for a third), said about the importance of oxygen:
"Deep breathing techniques increase oxygen to the cells and are the most important factors in living a diseasefree and energetic life. When cells get enough oxygen, cancer will not and cannot occur."
The very essence of our life is breathing. Due to stress and negative emotions, our breathing becomes irregular and shallow, thus affecting the flow of Prana through our body.
5. Laughter is internal jogging
Laughter massages internal organs by enhancing
the blood supply and increasing their efficiency.
This is especially good for proper bowel movement.
· Laughter exercises the abdominal muscles and
helps to improve muscle tone.
6. Laughter is a Natural Pain Killer
Laughter increases the levels of endorphins – the
body’s natural pain killers. Norman Cousins, an
American journalist who was suffering from an
incurable disease of the spine, benefited from
laughter therapy in a situation when all painkillers
were ineffective.
· Endorphins released as a result of laughter may
help in reducing the intensity of pain in those
suffering from arthritis, spondylitis and muscular
spasms of the body.
7. Laughter can control high blood pressure
Laughter helps to control blood pressure by
reducing the release of stress-related hormones.
· Experiments have demonstrated that a 10-
minute laughter session leads to a reduction of
10-20 mm in blood pressure. This however
does not mean that patients taking 2-3 tablets
for blood pressure every day will be completely
cured.
8. Laughter can help dump depression and
anxiety
The stress and strain of modern life takes a heavy
toll on the human mind and body.
Sustained laughter through Laughter yoga brings on:
· Better sleep
· Reduced depression. Some people claim they
can manage without prescribed anti-depressant
pills and tranquillizers.
9. Laughter Alleviates Bronchitis and Asthma
Laughter improves lung capacity and oxygen levels
in the blood.
· Laughter Club members report a marked
reduction in the frequency of asthma attacks.
10. Laughter just makes you feel good
Laugh and the world laughs with you. How you
react to life is up to you.
New Medical Study:
Laughter Lowers Blood Pressure
According to a new study presented at the American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting, laughter in the context of laughter yoga can significantly lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol, or stress hormone, levels. Laughter yoga is a combination of laughter exercises, gentle yoga breathing, and stretching. The investigators of the study evaluated 200 people, both men and women, working in the information technology industry in India. These individuals participated in seven 20-30 minute laughter yoga sessions, where they alternated 45 seconds to one minute of laughter with deep breathing and stretching exercises.
After three weeks, the investigators found that laughter yoga participants experienced significant reductions in their baseline blood pressures, as well as their cortisol levels. Participants also filled out questionnaires which showed that their perceived levels of stress were also lower.
According to Dr. Madan Kataria, the lead investigator of the study, laughter needs to be prolonged in order to bring about physiological and biochemical changes. And, you don't even need to feel happy while you laugh, as long as you laugh heartily for an extended period of time. There are 6000 laughter clubs in 60 countries where people practice laughter yoga, so perhaps there's one near you where you can laugh all the way to better health.
Source
Adapted from Heartwire -- a professional news service of WebMD Chaya MS, Kataria M, Nagendra R, et al. The effects of hearty extended unconditional (HEU) laughter using laughter yoga techniques on physiological, psychological, and immunological parameters in the workplace: a randomized control trial. American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting; May 14, 2008; New Orleans, LA.
Laughter Yoga Helps Cope With Physical Disabilities
Physical health of a person is an important parameter to measure mental health. It has a strong influence on personal efficiency and performance, well-being and capacity for self-regulating thought and action, self-confidence and relationships.
Living with a disability is a huge challenge and can be hard to deal with – one might have to make certain changes in their lives and find alternative ways to cope with the disability. People have to rediscover themselves to find different ways to fulfill their targets and goals, without slipping into the realms of depression and frustration.
A physical impairment can lead to severe mental trauma and stress which counters wellness. People suffering from a physical disability are prone to negative feelings and emotions that undermine their rationality and gives rise to confusing mindset regarding their own image and capabilities. They undergo an all time low and sensations of self pity and self worthless set in.
Laughter Yoga, the new exercise routine is the best medicine and the most powerful tool to manage pain and distress. It has the ability to elevate the mood state by releasing endorphins, a ‘feel good’ hormone that alleviates pain and provides a feeling of comfort and safety.
The concept is the fastest growing trend in the world that helps people to cope with their physical and mental disabilities. It a simple exercise routine developed by Dr. Madan Kataria that works on the body and the mind simultaneously. It effectively combines the tenets of yogic breathing with laughter exercises to provide enormous health benefits. Many practitioners have reported a remarkable improvement in their physical condition and flexibility.
How Laughter Yoga helps to cope with physical disabilities
Mobility: Mobility sometimes gets partially or severely restricted due to disease, injury and pain. Being a physical exercise, Laughter Yoga helps to mobility especially if one is rendered physically incapable due to injury and or disease.
Many people with a physical disability are unable to move parts of their body without regular physiotherapy exercises to keep their body moving. Due to low mental functions, they were not following physiotherapy commands properly. After laughter yoga they are much more compliant with physiotherapy commands, which have led to notable physical improvement in their motor functions.
Pain: Laughter Yoga triggers the release of a natural opiate called Endorphin into our bloodstream. This provides immediate pain relief typically lasting for 2 hours. It can relieve headaches, muscular and joint pain and is powerful enough that a number of practitioners have undergone surgery using laughter instead of anesthetics.
Anger: It can be overwhelming trying to understand why you have to deal with something that can be so difficult and seem so unfair. ‘Why me?’ is a nagging question in the mind. Trying to live with disability can be really frustrating and leaves one dependent on people.
Laughter Yoga is an ideal exercise that helps one to accept the disability and provides relief from feelings of negativity.
Sadness or depression: People find it hard to express their feelings and emotions and they get chronically depressed. Laughter Yoga exercises have made them much more expressive and joyful and helped to lift their depression.
Feeling scared: It’s natural to experience a certain amount of fear in the face of physical disability. But when this fear takes on an unbearable dimension, it can lead to severe damage to the psyche.
Laughter Yoga provides an immediate feeling of safety and security. This may be due to the effects of endorphins, natural opiates and more potent than morphine. It helps to overcome fear and anxiety and generates more positive emotions.
Stress or anxiety: Any form of disability is a cause of immense stress and anxiety. Frustration anger, aggressive behavior and irrational logic overcome the power of reasoning.
Laughter has been shown scientifically to provide a substantial and immediate reduction in stress levels as it lowers stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine and enhances the levels of health hormones and neuropeptides that alleviate the negative symptoms of stress within minutes.
Shock and denial: Physical incapacity can put people in a state of shock and trauma. There is not just the physical pain but a mental denial that can lead to blockage of feelings and an inability to express one’s emotions freely.
The group dynamics of Laughter Yoga leads to more openness and helps people to share their grief. The exercises and the deep breathing relax the body and the mind and assist one to accept reality. Laughter clubs are a safe haven for people to release their inner feelings without fear and pain. Laughter catharsis is a great technique for emotional release and balance.
Laughter Yoga And Allergies – Asthma And Bronchitis
Causal factors of asthma – how Laughter Yoga can help
Teen / childhood asthma
Scientific studies have proved that respiratory allergies like asthma and bronchitis are caused not only by physical allergens but also by a negative state of mind. In fact, the rise in the incidence of childhood and teen asthma is a worrying fact and has led to several research trying to ascertain the causal factors - the results of which have shown an obvious connect between an emotional state and asthma. Though nothing is certain yet, one knows that stress does play a major role in triggering these symptoms and bringing on debilitating physical conditions accompanied by mental upset.
We are subjected to constant (or chronic) stress that results in the continuous release of stress-related substances into the body. Without time to dissipate, the stress ‘cocktail’ can reach toxic concentrations and attack the body, resulting in a wide variety of stress-related illness including respiratory allergies which affect the breathing pattern and can at times lead to severe condition of breathlessness.
Asthma and bronchitis are both common chronic lung conditions that makes breathing difficult when the airways react to certain triggers or inducers causing airways to tighten, swell and fill with mucus. The lungs get less air which can cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing.
Laughter Yoga has a profound positive impact on allergies, with many practitioners reporting complete disappearance of all symptoms of asthma, skin and other allergies. Though not an intervention for countering physical causes of allergies, laughter is a definite tool to remedy stress. It can help in reducing the risk factors by boosting the immune system, encouraging deep breathing and flushing the lungs of stale air and generating a feeling of wellness.
It is a new exercise routine that combines laughter with yogic breathing. It encourages deep diaphragmatic breathing which can have a positive effect on asthma. It also increases the number and activity level of natural killer cells, which attack virus-infected cells and keep allergies at bay.
“According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Hajime Kimata of Unitika Central Hospital, Japan, studied the effects of laughter on patients allergic to dust mites, cedar pollen and cat dander. Skin prick tests using a commercial allergen were performed on 26 patients before and after they viewed the Charlie Chaplin comedy Modern Times. During the same procedure, a control group watched a video featuring weather information.
The results showed that allergic reactions of comedy watchers were reduced for four hours after the screening. In contrast, there was no effect on allergic responses of weather watchers.”
Causal factors of asthma – how Laughter Yoga can help
Stress:
Living in a constant worry cycle and faced with major stressors, one succumbs easily to the physical symptoms of stress, which can lead to asthmatic conditions and other allergic reactions. Laughter Yoga is an effective method to reduce stress. It improves the prognosis of the disease and helps in lowering the levels of stress-related poisons in the body. It has the ability to reduce or even clear allergic reactions.
Hearty extended laughter is one of the best exercises for those suffering from asthma and bronchitis. It improves lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood. It also flushes the lungs, strengthens the diaphragm and promotes healthier diaphragmatic breathing.
Diaphragm Breathing:
The usual prescription for asthmatic patients is chest physiotherapy to remove mucous (phlegm) from the respiratory passages. Blowing forcefully into an instrument and blowing balloons is one of the common exercises given to asthmatics. Laughter Yoga does the same job, more easily and at no cost.
Many people previously suffering from asthma and bronchitis who practice Laughter Yoga daily in laughter clubs report marked reductions in the frequency and severity of their attacks. In many cases their symptoms have disappeared completely within months of daily laughter sessions.
Immune System By boosting the immune system, Laughter Yoga increases antibody levels in the mucous membranes of the respiratory passages, thereby reducing the frequency of chest infections. It also tones up the mucous clearing system of the bronchial tubes.
Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect similar to deep breathing. This can be especially beneficial for patients who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.
Other Allergies
Research has confirmed that negative emotions can trigger allergic skin reactions. Disorders like hay fever and eczema are regulated, in part, by hormones and neuropeptides released into the bloodstream in response to stress.
Laughter Yoga increases the level of positive hormones and neuropeptides in the bloodstream thereby reducing the risk of skin allergies. It helps to increase T cells (T lymphocytes) and the antibody IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract infections.
Teen / Childhood Asthma
Teens with asthma tend to be more depressed and more likely to use drugs and alcohol. “This high frequency of depression in adolescents with asthma is most likely a consequence of a disease that impedes breathing, interferes with age-level activities, and complicates the adolescent process of developing a self-identity different from family," according to Bruce G. Bender, PhD, National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado.
Laughter exercises are ideally suited for young teens as it quickly helps to change the mood state by releasing endorphins, natural opiates that generate feelings of comfort and safety. Laughter Yoga helps one to cope with difficult situations and releases pent up emotions through the process of catharsis.
Though the most common cause of childhood asthma and respiratory allergies is genetic and physical, emotional stress caused by anxiety, anger or frustrations are also childhood asthma triggers. Children to day are faced with numerous stressors and pressures that can negatively alter the breathing pattern resulting in hyperventilation and rapid breathing that can further worsen an asthma attack.
Laughter Yoga is a powerful tool to remedy the immune system and reduce the negative triggers that bring on allergies. It focuses on all the aspects of well being – physical and mental. While the physiological healing power of laughter helps in recovery, the psychological takes care of the mental stress and depression that can reduce the incidence.
It teaches one to breathe correctly using the diaphragm, thereby increasing the net supply of oxygen to the body and the brain and using the lungs to the fullest capacity. It is the best prescription to curb the attacks and is a great preventive.
"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."
-Audrey Hepburn
"Laughter has changed my life. I feel much lighter and happier."
--Maj Brigette, Copenhagen, Denmark
Live life laughing!
Please consult your physician before starting any new exercise regimen or reducing your medication.
To Bring LaughingRx to your organization/group contact:
Nira Berry at LaughingRx Yoga
LaughingRx@gmail.com
240-888-6555